Question: why does it hurt when you get stung by a bee or a wasp

Kate Salmon answered on 12 Mar 2014:

Hi @juniorbubblegum, bee and wasp stings are really painful but they are actually very different things!

A bees sting is extra painful because first the bee’s venom is acidic and when it is released under your skin, it triggers pain receptors which feels like a burning sensation. Secondly, the bee’s stinger is shaped like a jagged sword so when the bee injects it into you, it detaches from the body of the bee and stays in your skin. The longer the stinger stays in your skin, the more venom is released and the more painful it will be. This is why some people try to remove the bee stinger as soon as they realise they have been stung.

A wasp sting is actually alkaline instead of acid like the bee sting. This doesn’t mean it hurts less though! When a wasp stings, it just injects venom but the stinger doesn’t stay in your skin. The chemicals in the venom then cause the pain by travelling in your bloodstream and killing some of your cells which makes it painful. To make the pain last longer, some of the chemicals in the venom stop the supply of blood to the area of the sting meaning your body can’t flush the venom away.

The pain from both bee and wasp stings can last for up to a few days after the sting